The
Angry Indian Goddess actress shared that although it wasn’t a physical assault, the incident has permanently scarred her. She wrote in the open letter that she was excited to work with Alok Nath and Reema Lagoo, who were portraying her on-screen mother and father. Sandhya expressed that she was on cloud nine after Alok Nath was impressed with her work and called her
'God's own child'.

Joining India's #MeToo movement on Monday, Vinta Nanda made a shocking revelation, accusing actor Alok Nath of raping her, not once but twice. In a first-person account, the writer-producer of the popular 90s show Tara explains why she felt the need to speak up.

It was at a team dinner after the shoot that Sandhya’s terrifying journey of working with Alok Nath began. “At dinner, he got progressively drunk and started insisting that I sit with him and I belonged to him. It made me very nervous and uncomfortable. My co-star realised what was happening and got me out of there. We went back to the hotel without dinner.”

I stand by you Vinta. What I went through is nothing compared to you. I'm so sorry. More power to you. To us all. I'm certain, there are others. I urge you to come forward. Your time is up, sir.

Sandhya Mridul

Sandhya further said that soon as the designer left her room, leaving the clothes for the next day’s shoot, Alok Nath banged on the door. Thinking it was the 'costume dada', Sandhya opened the door and that’s when Alok Nath first tried to abuse her. “It was an inebriated Alok Nath. I instinctively tried to shut down the door but he pushed it and lunged at me. I stepped aside and he went flying past me into the room. I fell backwards towards the bathroom door and he lunged at me again, screaming 'I want you, you're mine... I ran out of my room to the lobby. Fortunately, my DoP was there making a call from the reception. He came back to my room. What ensued was traumatic because a belligerent Alok Nath refuse to leave.”

8

Sandhya too joined the #MeToo campaign

She recounted that even after he was escorted out of her room, he continued to scream at her and tried to grab her hand as well. For the purpose of her security, her hair dresser was called in to stay with her in the room.

Sandhya was even more terrified to show up on the set and act an emotional scene with 'Babuji'. “In a few hours, I had scenes with Babuji. In one, I had to sit on his lap and cry. I still feel nauseous when I think of it. It didnt stop there," Sandhya wrote.

The damage was done. A very disillusioned, disgraced and unsure me returned home. He went on to return to Bombay and told people that I was difficult and arrogant. Apologies forgotten. He was a popular man, I was a newbie.

Sandhya Mridul

She said that Alok Nath would get drunk and started calling her. When she didn’t respond, he would come to her room. “I had the hair dresser move in to my room permanently. I was a nervous wreck.”

Sandhya further recalled when Alok Nath confided in her that he was alcoholic and had spoiled his family life. Sandhya wrote in her letter that the veteran actor promised her that he would visit a therapist. She also thanked late actress Reema Lagoo for protecting her as a mother and her DoP for always being around her.

However, the trauma had its ill-effects on her health. “The damage was done. A very disillusioned, disgraced and unsure me returned home. He went on to return to Bombay and told people that I was difficult and arrogant. Apologies forgotten. He was a popular man, I was a newbie."

She further said that he knows that everything she wrote in the letter is true. Although she had forgiven him back then for her own sanity, she would never forgive for what he did with Vinta. “I stand by you Vinta. What I went through is nothing compared to you. I'm so sorry. More power to you. To us all. I'm certain, there are others. I urge you to come forward. Your time is up, sir," Sandhya concluded.

Not only did she openly spoke about her abusive relationship with former lover Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also refused to work with filmmakers who are disrespectful towards women. In an exclusive conversation with Mumbai Mirror, actor Flora Saini revealed about her two-year-long abusive relationship with producer Gaurang Doshi.